Håkan Fredriksson

Circle Sector Expansions for On-Line Exploration

A novel and effective method denoted circle sector expansion (CSE) is presented that can be used to generate reduced Voronoi diagrams. It is intuitive and can be used to efficiently compute possible paths for a vehicle. The idea is to model free space instead of the features in the environment. It is easy to implement and can be used while a vehicle moves and collects new data of its surrounding. The method is directly applicable and has properties for fast computations of safety margins while at the same time having low complexity. We have successfully implemented the algorithm and its methods and performed real-life tests using an autonomous wheelchair equipped with a range scanning laser, a rate gyro, and wheel-encoders. Tests showed good results for supporting the use of CSE. The results are applicable for example to improve assistive technology for wheelchair users.

Obstacle avoidance using haptics and a laser rangefinder

In its current form, the white cane has been used by visually impaired people for almost a century. It is one of the most basic yet useful navigation aids, mainly because of its simplicity and intuitive usage. For people who have a motion impairment in addition to a visual one, requiring a wheelchair or a walker, the white cane is impractical, leading to human assistance being a necessity. This paper presents the prototype of a virtual white cane using a laser rangefinder to scan the environment and a haptic interface to present this information to the user. Using the virtual white cane, the user is able to “poke” at obstacles several meters ahead and without physical contact with the obstacle. By using a haptic interface, the interaction is very similar to how a regular white cane is used. This paper also presents the results from an initial field trial conducted with six people with a visual impairment.

Signature Graphs for Effective Localization

We present a novel method for the localization of an autonomous vehicle in two dimensions. Instead of focussing on properties of obstacles, we emphasize the description of free-space. We introduce the concept of signature graphs which is a compact data structure describing available free-space of an environment. It therefore also represents a map of the environment. A signature is an edge in the graph and is defined by seven parameters. An edge indicates that it is possible for the vehicle to move between two graph nodes. The signature graph is flexible and can easily be updated as new information about the environment is collected. We have with an autonomous wheelchair implemented our methods and tests them with successful results

Gyro feedback of a hydraulic steering system

We study the problem to steer, teleoperated as well as autonomously, a tractor that is to operate on a rough and slippery surface. The main idea is to control the effective steering angle of the vehicle. A benefit with this approach is that the vehicle will strive to move in a predefined way irrespective of the surface conditions. To test if the approach is usable we implemented a straight forward p-controller in combination with an estimator of the effective steering angle of the tractor. Our tests indicate that the approach can be useful. Future work would include studies on more advanced control strategies and estimators to reduce some of the problems that we address.

Multisource flash system for retroreflective beacon detection in CMOS cameras

We present a method for improving a flash system for retroreflective beacon detection in CMOS cameras. Generally, flash systems are designed in such a manner that makes them suited for beacon detection in a small range interval. We strive to increase the flash system range interval by exploiting the directional properties of the retroreflector. Thus, light sources placed relatively far away from the optical axis of the camera will contribute only when the retroreflector is far away. This fact can be used to compensate for the 1/distance2 dependency of optical power. We present underlying theory and formulae, then describe a flash system consisting of several light-emitting diodes that was designed by considering the presented method. Simulations show that the usable flash range of the improved system can be almost doubled compared to a general flash system. Tests were performed indicating that the presented method works according to theory and simulations.